Folding bed



- May 24, 1949. w. JASINSKI 2,470,930 7' FOLDING BED Filed March 24, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 14/. JAS/NSK/ W. JASINSKI FOLDING BED May 24, 1949.

s Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 24, 1947 Ms/Nam W. JASlNSKl May 24, 1949.

FOLDING BED- 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 24, ,1947

Patented May 24, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE f one-third to Anna J asinski, one-third to Robert J asin, and one-third to Raymond J asin,

all of Grand Junction, Mich.

Application March 24, 1947, Serial No. 736,640

6 Claims.

This invention deals with folding furniture generally, but more specifically as adapted to folding beds which when folded have the appearance of a dresser.

The object of this invention is to provide a novel foldin bed construction in combination With a storing case therefor, which has an outside appearance of a dresser.

Another object is to make the bed above refer ed to, expandable by pulling out the lower panel of the front of the dresser, whereby the bed is immediately set up and. automatically locked in open position as soon as the panel, which forms the foot end of the bed is fully pulled out.

Another object is to provide a space above and in back of the loed frame space in the case for a mattress for the bed, mattress space being accessible by the upper panel on the front of the dresser case, which may be hinged along its bottom edge.

Another object is to make the bed foldable by depressing a foot bar along the bottom of said foot panel to release the frame from its locked open position so that the foot panel may be pushed to fold the bed frame into its storing space in the dresser case.

Other and more specific objects will become apparent in the following detailed description of one preferred form of construction made in accordance with the present invention, having reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a front elevation of the folding bed stored away in its case which gives the general outside appearance of a dresser and occupies a minimum amount of space,

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view thereof showing the arrangement of parts inside the storing case,

Fig. 3 is a Plan view of the bed frame in extended position, having its head end supported by rollers in side rails in the storing case,

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of the bed frame in fully extended and automatically locked position,

Fig. 5 shows the bed frame partly extended from its storing space in the dresser case,

Fig. 6 shows an enlarged detail view of one of the links used in the be frame,

Fig. '7 is a sectional view of the bed frame taken on the line l-'l of Fig. 4,

Fig. 8 is a detail sectional view of one of the side rails taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 9 is a detail view thereof taken on the line 99 of Fig. 8.

The dresser case I has two compartments 2 and 3 therein separated by a partition 4. The compartment 2 is closed by the lower front panel 5 which is provided with handles 6 and l and an oscillatable lock handle 8 having a bar 9 on the back of the panel pivotally connected at its ends with lock bars I0 and I l for fixing the panel inplace in an obvious manner.

The compartment 3 is closed by the upper front panel 52 which may be hinged at the lower edge by hinges l3 and I 4, as shown, and is provided with handles l5 and I6 matching the handles 6 and l on the lower panel. Compartment 3 is large enough to house a mattress I! in the manner shown in Fig. 2.

Side rails l8 are provided on the inside of the lower compartment .2 for the rollers I 9 on the head end of the bed frame, and extend into the compartment 3 through cut-out portions in the partition 4.

The bed frame has two end cross supports 20 and 21 and a middle cross support 22. Each cross support is rigidly formed of two uprights 24, having rollers 25 mounted at the bottom for rolling on the floor, and a pair of diagonal braces 2-3, The end cross supports also have a rotatable cross bar 39 at the top and corner braces between said cross bar and the adjacent upper side rail portions 26. One of the end cross sup-- ports 20 is fixed to the back of the panel 5, the other end cross support ;2 lhas rollers I9 connected to it for sliding in the rails I 8 mounted in the sides of the compartment 2 as already described.

Each end cross support 20 and 2 is connected with the middle cross support 22 by foldable portions 25 of the upper side rails of the bed frame and foldable portions 21 of the lower side rails. EaCh portion -26 is connected to the adjacent upright 24 by links 28 and 29 pivotallv joined to a third link 39 which has a pin and slot connection 40 with the opposite portion 12;! to form a bracing spider for the portion :26 in bed extended position. The lower rail portions 21 have pivotal connections on the outer sides of the uprights 24 and the upper rail portions 26 have pivotal connections on the inner sides of the uprights, so that in their folding operation they will miss each other and form a compact arrangement for folding into the compartment 2. A series of strips 31 are stretched at spaced intervals by springs 32 across the bed frame between the upper side rail portions 25, to form a resilient support on top of the bed frame when in extended position, for the mattress l1.

A cross foot bar 33 has side arms 34 fixed in extension of the forwardmost lower side rail portions 21, so as to extend in front of the panel 5 in the bed extended position, when the side arms 34 extend through cut-out slots 35 in the lower edge of panel 5. When the bed is folded, bar 33 retracts back of panel 5.

A pair of coordinating links 36 and 31, pivotally connected at their lower ends to the lower side rail portions 27 adjacent each upright of the middle cross support, and joined at their upper ends to a pivot slidable in a vertical guide slot 38, provide equal folding movement of all the lower side rail portions.

Thus, when the panel 5 is drawn out, the two halves of the bed unfold evenly, and when fully stretched, the links 28, 29 drop past their in-line position, and link 39 drops to the bottom of its st motion in the pin and slot connection at its lower end. The three links 28, 29 and thus form a spider brace supporting the upper side rails 26 in horizontal position, and pressing the lower side rail portions into their horizontal position.

While the bed is occupied, it is impossible to start the folding operation because of the weight on these spider braces, but when there is no such pressure, the bar 33 may be depressed by stepping on any portion of it. This lifts the links 30 to initiate folding the links 28 and 29 inwardly by first slightly elevating the upper side rail portions 26, all parts of the bed working simultaneously due to the coordinating link connection 36, 31 between the folding side rail portions. As the links 28 and 29 are folded inwardly the upper side rail portions 26 are allowed to drop and follow the folding operation of the bed as may be readily understood by reference to Figs. 2, 4 and 5.

As the panel 5 is pushed into place, the folded bed moves into the compartment 2, its head end being supported by rollers l?! which move along the side rails l8 into the position shown in Fig. 2. The panel may then be locked by turning the lock handle 8.

The storing and withdrawal of the mattress is obvious from the illustration in Fig. 2. When the bed is stored, it therefore occupies a very small amount of space and presents a pleasing appearance which may be designed to match other furniture used in conjunction therewith. Other advantages are its simple yet firm construction, and the ease of its setting up and automatic locking in place upon full extension, as well as the safety feature of not being subject to accidental stepping on the closing foot bar to initiate folding.

While only one form of the present device is disclosed for purposes of illustration, obvious modifications in the form and arrangement of parts may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A folding bed, comprising three rigid upright cross supports for the ends and the middle of the bed, upper and lower side rail portions pivotally connected to the sides of said cross supports, adjacent upper side rail portions hingedly connected to form a downwardly folding half of the corresponding upper side rail, adjacent lower side rail portions hingedly connected to form an upwardly folding half of the corresponding lower side rail, link systems, each comprising a pair of pivotally interconnected links pivotally connected to an upper side rail portion and the adjacent side of said cross supports and a third link pivotally connected to the juncture of said pair of links and having a lost motion connection with the opposed lower side rail portion in a manner to form a self-locking spider bracing to support said upper side rail portions in a horizontal position upon full extension of said bed.

2. A folding bed as defined in claim 1, having a pair of coordinating links on each side of the bed, pivoted at their lower ends to the middle lower side rail portions and connected at their upper ends to a common pivot slidable in a vertical guide in the side of the middle cross support, whereby the folding of the side rails in both halves of the bed is maintained equal.

3. A folding bed as defined in claim 2, having a furniture-like case having a compartment for the folded bed, with an opening closed by a panel fixed to the foot end of the bed, the head of the bed having slidable guide connection within said compartment to allow the head to be pulled out or pushed into said compartment,

4. A folding bed as defined in claim 3, wherein the case has the appearance, when closed, of a dresser with two drawer panels in front, the upper panel forming a closure for a mattress compartment, extending over and behind said bed compartment.

5. A folding bed, comprising a rigid cross support for each end, a third rigid cross support for th middle of the bed, each cross support consisting of a leg member on each side, held together by crossed diagonal braces therebetween, upper and lower side rails for said bed consisting of quarter portions of each rail pivoted to said leg members and to their complementary portions between said leg members, for folding each half of the upper side rails downwardly and each half of the lower side rails upwardly on the inside and outside of said leg members respectively to form a compact folded structure for storing, link systerns, each comprising a pair of pivotally interconnected links pivotally connected to an upper side rail portion and the adjacent side of said cross supports and a third link pivotally connected to the juncture of said pair of links and having a lost motion connection to the corresponding lower quarter portion in such manner that the three links form a spider brace for supporting the upper quarter portions horizontally and for pressing the lower quarter portions downwardly into their horizontal position when the bed is fully extended.

6. A folding bed as defined in claim 5, having a pair of coordinatinglinks on each side of the bed pivotally connected at their lower ends to the middle lower quarter portions and at their upper ends to a vertical guide slot, whereby the amount of folding in each half of the bed is maintained to be the same during extension or folding operations.

WALTER JASINSKI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 966,841 

